STAMFORD -- He is the co-author of the current bestselling book "The System -- The Glory and Scandal of Big-Time College Football."

Still, Armen Keteyian still has high hopes and a warm spot in his heart for FCIAC High School football.

"The high school football game has a purity to it. Purity is the right word," Keteyian said. "There's a pressure to high school football but not the pressure of an entire university on your shoulders like college football. In college, they are athlete-students not student-athletes. The percentage of big-time Division I college football players coming from Fairfield County is small. So the idea is to produce a collection of lower Division I, Division II and Division III football players. But for them to be student-athletes. To be great ambassadors from Fairfield County. To impact the future. That's what is important."

Keteyian, who is currently the lead correspondent of "60 Minutes Sports" on Showtime, was the guest speaker Tuesday night at the FCIAC football media night at Zody's 19th Hole restataurant at E. Gaynor Brennan Golf Course.

Keteyian did a fine job of reminding the players on hand what a special opportunity they had with the high school football season just around the corner.

A baseball player at heart, he spoke eloquently about his high school gridiron career.

"I made the varsity as a sophomore at a time where that was a big deal," Keteyian said. "I was a starting defensive back as a junior and a senior. That first game we lost 49-0 as the opposing quarterback threw seven touchdown passes. I also covered the football team for the high school newspaper. I wrote the story the next day but I didn't mention any of the defensive backs' names."

Keteyian, then a New Canaan resident, played an instrumental role in the ascension of FCIAC football.

Keteyian was the president of the committee in the early 1980s that raised the money to build Dunning Stadium at Hawes Plaza at New Canaan High School.

One look at New Canaan High head football coach Lou Marinelli's resume shows it was the right decision.

"At the time I understood the power of Friday night high school football under the lights," Keteyian said. "New Canaan would play some games at Saxe Junior High School and draw maybe 300 fans. Time has shown that the power of the lights at Dunning Stadium has carried from generation to generation in New Canaan. Attendance runs between 3,000 and 4,000 for home games.

"Friday Night Lights was missing in New Canaan. Now the fathers are getting off the train in downtown New Canaan and coming to the game," Keteyian continued. "The selling of the commemorative bricks in the plaza was important. Rodney Hawes was generous with a second contribution to put the project over the top because stadium costs always escalate. For the big games, the place is on fire. Especially with the young kids who want to be a part of New Canaan HS football when they get older."

For Keteyian, being a part of high school football is a privilege.

"It is a unique responsibility. You are an example to the community both on and off the field," Keteyian said. "I worked the NFL sidelines for eight years. I must have covered about 50 New England Patriot games in that time. In 2001, Tom Brady took over at quarterback. In 2002, Tom Brady was a surly jerk. (Then offensive coordinator) Charlie Weis told him `There's a big difference between what you want to do and what you have to do.' Brady had to learn how to be a professional.

"Soon Tom Brady was the first guy in and the last guy going home each day. He earned the No. 1 parking spot closest to the football complex," Keteyian continued. "Tom Brady still has that parking spot all these years later. How high school football players react is important. How you interact with your teammates, opponents and referees has meaning. For most, high school is the last football you'll play."

Keteyian, co-author Jeff Benedict and the five other reporters who conducted the 500 interviews for "The System," hold no illusions about college football.

"High School is child's play compared to college football. Jeff and I spent 18 months in the reporting and writing of the book," Keteyian said. "It was a tumultuous time in college football. All the conferences' realignments. The advent of regional TV networks. The NCAA itself under seige. We dug down deep into college football. We got access to a lot of places journalists don't normally get. We brought the passion and the corruption to life. There was glory and scandal. Starz has optioned the book for a weekly TV series."